Background: Currently, the OPTN defines donors at increased risk for disease transmission as those donors who meet exclusionary criteria present in 1994 US PHS Guidelines. In response to calls to update and revise these guidelines, the US PHS has proposed new criteria for defining organ donors at increased risk for disease transmission. There is concern that such proposed guidelines could increase the number of donors labeled as increased risk.

Methods: All deceased organ donors who yielded at least one organ at a single OPO in 2011 were reviewed for the presence of risk factors as proposed by the US PHS revised guideline. Donors categorized by current OPTN policy as increased risk had risk factors identified as well.

Results: A total of 287 donors had at least 1 organ procured by the OPO in 2011. 41 (14%) of donors were categorized as increased risk for disease transmission by the current OPTN definition while 45 (16%) were categorized by the proposed new definition. In total 6 donors on chronic HD accounted for addition “new” increased risk donors by the proposed definition; 2 donors (1 MSM with last activity 3 years ago, 1 IV drug user last 5 years ago) would no longer be classified as increased risk by the proposed new definition (see tables 1 and 2 for details).

Conclusion: The impact of the proposed US PHS guidelines for defining donors at increased risk for disease transmission should be studied on a national level. This data suggests that the proposed new definitions may modestly increase the number of donors categorized as increased risk for disease transmission.

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